


Called Out

by SonriaCat



Series: Tales from Winter Camp [11]
Category: Earth 2 (TV 1994)
Genre: 100 situations, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2019-02-20 08:27:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13142826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonriaCat/pseuds/SonriaCat
Summary: Alonzo cheats at cards.





	Called Out

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Fair

“All right,” said Cameron. “Let’s take a look.”

They laid their cards down on the table one by one. Alonzo, always one for the flash, took his time. It wasn’t until the last card went down that his reasons became completely clear.

From Cameron’s right, Danziger made a rude noise. “Straight flush. Figures.” He threw his cards down, revealing three of a kind. “Last time I’m dealing. Someone else can feed these things to Solace.”

Gathering the markers from the middle of the table, Alonzo responded with a wicked smile. “Still got it, kid. Never lost it.”

“Right.” Walman shoved back from the table. “I’m out. Lost enough already.”

“Oh, come on, buddy, don’t be such a pain.” Alonzo gathered the cards. “One more hand. I’ll deal.”

“Look, you’ve already gotten out of chores all the way between here and New Pacifica. Isn’t that good enough?”

Alonzo threw his markers back into the middle of the table. Paper was far too precious to be used for chore poker, so they were using notched twigs. They clattered loudly in the bio-dome’s evening silence.

“Pot’s full,” he announced. “Opening bet, one. Who’s in?”

Muttering under his breath, Walman sat back down. They played quickly, not speaking beyond what was necessary. This time, it was Danziger who called the look. They laid their cards down.

“Damn you, Solace!” Walman’s face flushed. “Where’d you get that ace? Don’t tell me it just came out of nowhere.”

“That’s what they call me, man. Ace.” Alonzo laughed, gathering the pot again.

“That’s what you had up your sleeve, too,” said Cameron.

Shocked silence fell.

Baines, who had been uncharacteristically quiet this evening, was the first to break it. “Is that so?”

“He’s been hiding it since the deal before last.”

“And you know this because?” Alonzo’s tone was tight, almost angry.

“Because I saw you do it. Then I saw you switch it out with something else during the last hand.”

Baines shoved the pile of twigs back into the middle of the table. “Count the cards. Not you,” he snapped when Alonzo reached out. He pointed at Walman. “You’re the one he fleeced. You do it.”

He counted them quickly, sorting by suit. “Fifty. Two of spades and ten of diamonds missing. Where are they?”

Sheepish now, Alonzo tugged the two out of his sleeve. “You must have dropped the ten, because I don’t have it.”

“Right.” Walman stood up. “Where is it, Solace?”

“I don’t have it! I swear! Look!” Alonzo pulled his jacket off, dropping it onto the floor. He had short sleeves on underneath. “There, no sleeves. And no cards either!”

With daggers in his eyes, Walman picked up the coat and turned it inside out, searching the pockets as well. He blinked, startled, the angry expression giving way to confusion. “He’s telling the truth.”

“Stand up, ’Lonz,” said Danziger. “It could be under his leg.”

“It isn’t —” seeing the expressions around the table, Alonzo broke off and stood up, stepping back and raising his arms. “Fine. See for yourself.”

There were no cards anywhere except on the table.

“Huh,” said Danziger. “Maybe it really did fall out somewhere.”

“Maybe.” Walman sat back down. “But he had the two. Which means it’s time to settle up.” He swept up the twigs. “Hand over the rest of yours.”

“Oh, come on, it was just in fun —”

“Markers. All of them. Now.”

With an injured look, he dug them out and threw on the table. Walman distributed them around, as quickly as if he were dealing cards. Nobody else moved while he did it.

“I think that’s fair,” he concluded. “Gather ’em up, guys. And I’m not playing again as long as Solace is at the table.”

“Neither am I.” Baines collected his share of the twigs and stood up. “Fair play’s common courtesy.”

“I’ll say.” Danziger reached for his markers at the same time Cameron did, and the table was small enough that their arms bumped as they drew the piles back. Nobody noticed, though, until there was a small _clack_ and the ten of diamonds tumbled out.

Cameron froze as all eyes turned to him.

“Well.” Alonzo, who’d stood up to leave, sat back down and glared. “And you’re the one who accused me, aren’t you? Apparently it takes one to know one.”


End file.
